Mining-machine.



. PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

B. R. MERRILL. MINING MACHINE. APPLIOATION rmzn AUG. 22, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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cm 0 9 4 7 2 R E F D E T N E T A P 2 O N E2 Lm m G HH RC m INN R M M R LP P A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN R. MERRILL, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH A. JEFFREY, OFCOLUMBUS, OHIO.

'MINING-NIACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed August 22, 1902. Serial No. 120,6 80.

T0 00M whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN R. MERRILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining-Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan view, some of the parts being broken away, showing amining-ma chine embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionon the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of the motor and engineand showing also parts of the carriage and of the bed in section. Fig. 4is a bottom plan view of the engine and motor.

The machine considered as a whole is similar to those heretofore in usein having a bedframe and a carriage sliding thereon for supporting thecutting apparatus and the power mechanism.

The bed consists of longitudinal side bars A A, supported at intervalsby cross-girders a, having upright arms a, which are secured to the mainbars A. At the bottoms and .along the sides these crossbars a are provided with longitudinal shoe-like bars a At the front end there is abottom cross-bar a which is longer than those at a a and which permitsthe rear part of the bed to be narrow and yet allows the use of acutting apparatus which is wide at its front end.

At the rear end the bed is provided with a cross-bar a, which not onlyserves to hold the parts together, but also provides means for movingthe machine, as bars or other tools can be readily engaged therewith.

The bed-bars A have secured to them longitudinally-arranged rack-bars Bwith upwardly-turned teeth.

Upon the bed-frame of this construction is mounted the travelingapparatus, which carries the cutting devices and also the gearing andmotor or engine. This carriage is made up of two main parts, theplatform or frame, which supports the gearing, shafting, and motor orengine, and the cutter-frame. The cutter-frame is designed for theholding and guiding of a chain provided with cutters and may be of anypreferred sort. The one shown comprises a front cross-head O, a centralthrusting frame or bar C, and tapering side guide-bars C convergingrearward to- Ward the center bar or frame C. The crosshead 0 is formedof top and bottom plates 0 c, with spacing bars or plates between them,together with sprocket-wheels C C One of the spacing bars or plates ofthe cross-head O has rearwardly-projecting arms C to which is securedthe central thrusting device C. This consists of two longitudinal bars 6c which are riveted or otherwise secured to the arms C of the cross-headand which extend back to points near the rear of the machine. They areheld spaced and braced by means of a cross-plate 0 which has verticalflanges 0 that permit it to be firmly riveted to the bars 0 The frontend of the bar or plate 0 is adjacent to the rearward-extending arms Cof the cross-head, and it extends back to points somewhat ahead of therear ends of the bars 0 At the said rear ends there is a plate or bar C.At its rear the thrusting member C is provided with the cross members 00 which are adapted to support the adjustingscrew D, which is used totake up slack in the cutter-chain by moving the rear cutter-chainsprocket relative to the thrusting member C in the well-known manner.

The rear end of this chain-frame is adjustably connected to theplatform, frame, or support for the shafting and gearing. This supportor frame consists, as shown, of a plate having a horizontal part E,which is fitted to the bed to slide longitudinally thereon, it having atthe front end the drooping part c and a supplemental drooping portion c,together with a rear portion 6 having projec- 'tions 6 Theabove-described chain-frame has its rear end between the drooping parts6 and e of the motorframe. It is held by means of a vertical bar or rodF, provided with a threaded aperture to receive the above-mentionedscrew D. This rod. F is detachable from the engine -plate, thoughnormally rigidly secured thereon, it being seated in apertures in theparts 6 c. It has a clamping washer and nut at the upper end and a headat the lower end, so that it can be loosened when desired or can befastened with the utmost rigidity. It is preferably cylindrical oradapted to turn somewhat, so that in case of great strain upon thescrew-rod there can be a yielding,

When it is desired to adjust the chainfr'ame forward relatively to themotor-frame, this is accomplished after first loosening the vertical rodF and then turning the screw-rod D in the proper direction, and afteradjustment the vertical rod F is again clamped in position.

I The machine is driven by means of a motor or engine adapted to beactuated by a fluid agent, preferably compressed air. This motorcomprises a casing having the two parts H H each nearly cylindrical inshape and the intermediate smaller parti cylindrical walls at g 9 Thevertical walls of the outer cylindrical parts are represented by g andthe bottom plate or wall by g, these being preferably cast integral. Atthe center of each of the circular sections of the bottom wall there isa bearing-boss h, which projects downward. In each of the sidecylindrical parts H H of the casing there is mounted a vertical shaft H,each shaft being ournaled at its lower end in one of the bearing-bossesh. The cover or top wall of the casing g is preferably detachable fromthe lower part of the casing, though secured thereto tightly by bolts g.This top wall 9 has bearing-bosses 9, one for each of the shafts I-I.Each shaft H has secured to it a cylindrical piston-carrier Hthepiston-plate itself being illustrated at H.

In the central part of the casing there is mounted a valve cylinder orroll H This roll is carried by the shaft h, which is mount ed at itslower end in the boss or bearing h in the bottom Wall or plate g. It hasa cut-out portion h, adapted to register with each of the piston-platesI-I alternately. At 7L2 there is an inlet-port for compressed air orsteam, and at 7L3 there is an exhaust-port, there being one of theseinlet and exhaust ports for each of the cylindrical parts H H At thelower end of each of the shafts H and rigidly fastened thereto is aspur-pinion K. These engage with the large spur-wheel L, mounted on thevertical shaft Z, held in boxes carried by suitable brackets secured tothe platform or frame of the motor and gearing. The pinions K both beingof the same size it will be seen that they not only impart the samepower and speed to the large gear L, but also that they are so connectedas to cause the cylinders or rollers H to rotate together and in thesame direction.

The valve cylinder or roller H is connected with the shafts H by meansof the gearwheels H H so that the valve also rotates synchronously withthe piston parts.

With a driving mechanism of the character described I am enabled toimpart motion to the master-gear L, the chain-wheel M, and the otherparts driven thereby with much less gearing and fewer parts and lessmetal than have been required in machines of this class heretofore.

From the shaft 1 can be taken the power for moving the carriage forwardand back.

The entire carriage can be simultaneously advanced along the bed asfollows: 0 O are pinions engaging with the racks B above de= scribed.These pinions are rigid with the shaft P, which is mounted in bearingsat p in the platform or frame extension e This shaft can be rotatedslowly in one direction or rapidly in the opposite direction. Q is aworm on the aforesaid shaft Z. It engages with a wor1n-wheel Q upon ashaft g, which is mounted in suitable bearings upon the engine-platform.This shaft g has'a beveled gear-wheel Q, which engages a bevel-wheel Qon a longitudinally-arranged shaft q in a bracket-bearing g This shaft gcarries a worm Q which engages with the worm-wheel Q mounted loosely onthe shaft P. The aforesaid shaft 9 carries also a gear-pinion R, whichengages with a gear-wheel R also mounted loosely on shaft P. The wheelsQ and R can be alternately connected to the shaft P by the clutch S,which is feathered or splined to the shaft. When the clutch engages withthe wheel Q the speeds and directions of the parts are such that thecarriage is slowly advanced. When the clutch is withdrawn from the wheelQ and engaged with wheel R the carriage is rapidly withdrawn along thebed, the wheel Q moving in one direction with a relatively slow speed,while the wheel It moves in the opposite direction with a relativelyhigh speed. With this clutch can be combined any suitable mechanism formoving it automatically or for moving it by hand, or both. In my earlierapplication, Serial No. 25,811, filed August 3, 1900, I have shown amechanism which can be employed for this purpose. The lever S, pivotedto the platform E or a suit able support thereon and having partsengaging with the clutch, can be used, as readily understood. Compressedair is admitted to the motor through the inlet-ports at b from a hose orflexible conductor, which is attached at T or T. It travels past thevalve at t to the passage-way at t, then along the duct t until itreaches the inlet-port h As the piston-carrier H turns it brings its airpassageway V to the port 72 and air passes through the carriage or rollfrom the bottom to the top and escapes through the ports 12 into thecylinder behind the piston-plates H and causes the rotation of the partsH and the shafts H. As soon as the plate H reaches the intermediate rollH the recess h in the latter permits the passage of the said part H andthe latter escapes from the roll H just as the cylindrical surfaces ofthe parts H and H come into contact again and just as it reaches theinlet-port W. The plate H begins to enter the recess h just after it haspassed the exhaust-port h The two sets of parts (each set having a rollH a shaft H, and an external cylinder, &c.) are arranged oppositely toeach other with respect to the intermediate roll H so that the motor ispractically a double-acting one, maintaining IIC substantiallycontinuous application of power to the gearing and through that to thecutters and the carriage-moving mechanism.

What I claim is 1. In a mining-machine, the combination with thebed-frame, the carriage adapted to move forward and back thereon, andthe cutting apparatus on the carriage, of the two rotary enginesarranged side by side within the longitudinal planes of the bed-frame,and having the axes of their en inc-shafts in avertical plane transverseto t e said bed-frame, the vertical shaft Z, the gearing between saidshaft and each of said engine shafts, the sprocket-wheel on saidvertical shaft engaging with and driving the cutter-chain, and a trainof power transmitting devices interposed between said vertical shaft andthe carriage-advancing mechanism on the bedframe.

2. In a mining-machine, the combination with the bed, the carriageadapted to move relatively thereto and the cutter-chain on the carriage,of the sprocket-wheel engaging with and driving the said chain, thevertical shaft Z to which the sprocket is secured, the Worm on saidshaft for transmitting power to the carriage advancing mechanism, theear- Wheel on said shaft, and the two vertica engine-shafts having theiraxes of rotation in a plane transverse to the carriage-frame and infront of the said driving sprocket-Wheel, the casings of said motorsbeing arranged Within the longitudinal planes of the sides of saidbedeframe, the rotary pistons connected With and rotating said shaftsand driving-pinions on said shafts engaging with and driving saidgear-wheel Z on the sprocket-shaft, substantially as set forth.

3. In a mining-machine, the combination of the bed-frame, acarriage-frame adapted to move forward and back thereon, an endlesscutter-chain on the carriage-frame, two rotary, elastic fluid enginesarran ed side by side on the carriage frame and aving the axes of theirrotary-engine shafts in a vertical plane transverse to the saidcarriageframe, and power transmitting mechanism interposed between saidrotary-engine shafts and both the cutter-chain and the bed-frame andadapted both to actuate the said cutterchain and to cause the carriageto move forward and back along the said bed-frame.

4. In a mining-machine, the combination with the bed-frame, thecarriage-frame adapted to move forward and backthereon, and the endlesscuttercarrier on the carriageframe, of two rotary elastic-fluid enginesarranged side by side on the carriage-frame and having the axes of theirrotary-engine shafts in a vertical plane transverse to the said carriae-frame, a vertical counter-shaft common to 0th of said engine-shafts,gearing similarly connecting each of said rotary-engine shafts to saidcounter-shaft, power-transmitting mechanism interposed between saidcounter shaft and said cutter carrier, and Eower transmitting mechanisminterposed etween said counter shaft and said bedframe adapted to causethe carriage to move forward and back along the said bed-frame.

5. In a mining-machine, the combination with a bed-frame, a carriae-frame arranged to move forward and bac thereon and an endlesscutter-carrier on the carriage-frame,

F. C. KOCHENDERFER, C. A. DoDDs.

